Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for The Last Party at Silverton Hall by Rachel Burton. My thanks to Amy at Head of Zeus for inviting me to take part in the tour and for my review copy via NetGalley. Do check out the post by my tour buddy for today, Wendy at WendyReadsBooks.
About the Book
Two women. Two centuries. A life-changing night…
1952: Vivien and Max collide in the thick London smog. Within a few years, their whirlwind romance sees them living a quiet life on the Norfolk coast, blissfully happy with their beautiful daughter – at least, that’s how it appears…
2019: Isobel is hoping for a fresh start when she inherits her beloved grandmother Vivien’s house in Silverton Bay. But when she discovers an old photograph of Vivien at one of the infamous parties held at Silverton Hall in the 1950s, Isobel is forced to question how well she really knew her grandmother. Silverton Hall is a place Vivien swore she never went and never would – but why would she lie? And what other secrets was she keeping?
Together with an old friend, Isobel searches for answers. But is she prepared for the truth?
Format: eARC (352 pages) Publisher: Aria Fiction
Publication date: 2nd March 2023 Genre: Dual Time, Romance
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My Review
The publishers describe The Last Party at Silverton Hall as ‘Perfect for fans of Rachel Hore, Lorna Cook and Kathryn Hughes’. I haven’t read any of those authors’ books so I can’t say whether that’s a fair comparison or not but what I can say is that, despite my mixed history with dual-time novels and the fact there is a romantic storyline, I really enjoyed it.
The book moves between the present day story of Isobel, returning to Silverton Bay after a period of eighteen years, and her grandmother Vivien’s story starting in 1952.
Viven’s story is one of young woman swept off her feet by the handsome Max and whisked away from her humdrum job, as well as from her family and smog-filled London, to a new life in a grand house by the sea. Suddenly there are little luxuries she could only have dreamed of and glamorous parties to attend at nearby Silverton Hall. True, Max is often absent but, after all, he has an important job in London. If you’re thinking it all sounds too good to be true, then you’d be right because as the teasing opening chapter shows there is something important that Max has kept from Vivien, something that touches upon social attitudes at the time. In fact, there’s more than one thing he’s kept from her, as she will only discover much later. Max could come across as the one-dimensional villain of the piece except for a little nugget of information towards the end of the book that, if not excusing his actions, does give a different perspective on them.
The present day storyline sees Isobel grieving the death of her grandmother with whom she spent much of her childhood and rather overwhelmed by inheriting Little Clarion, her grandmother’s house. That feeling of being overwhelmed only increases when she sees the dilapidated state of the house. Fortunately, also recently returned to Silverton Bay is Nick who is helping in his grandfather Spencer’s shop. Eighteen years before Isobel and Nick were close friends, and on the verge of getting romantically involved, until events got in the way and their lives took separate paths in September 2001. The intervening years have, in different ways, been traumatic for each of them, as the reader will discover. What hasn’t changed is that, for both of them, the other has always been ‘the one that got away’. But is it too late? Has too much water passed under the bridge? Will they still feel the same way about each other once they know the emotional baggage they carry?
Alongside delving into the secrets of her grandmother’s life, the renovation of Little Clarion gives Isobel the project she needs to distract her from disappointments in her life. It helps that Nick is on hand to provide practical assistance and to nudge Isobel into recognising the house can incorporate modern elements without stripping it of the essence of her grandmother. The restoration of the house in a way mirrors both Isobel’s and Nick’s psychological “renovation” as they each discover there is still a chance for them to pursue the things they’ve always wanted to do, rather than the things they were expected to do.
The Last Party at Silverton Hall is an absorbing story of family secrets with a romantic storyline that, for me, remained just the right side of sentimentality. I thought the story flowed beautifully and I liked the way the author adopted a subtly different style for the sections revealing, bit by bit, Vivien’s story. There are some touching moments in the book and those who love a feelgood ending won’t be disappointed.
In three words: Romantic, engaging, heartwarming
Try something similar: The Sea Gate by Jane Johnson
About the Author
Rachel Burton has been making up stories for as long as she can remember and always dreamed of being a writer until life somehow got in the way. After reading for a degree in Classics and another in English Literature she accidentally fell into a career in law, but eventually managed to write her first book on her lunch breaks. She loves words, Shakespeare, tea, The Beatles, dresses with pockets and very tall romantic heroes (not necessarily in that order) and lives with her husband a in Yorkshire.
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What Cathy Read Next... 
Well, this sounds worth a punt. Perfect for a long train journey?
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